One of the most spectacular, but strange duels in history (4 photos)

They say that every action is born of either love or hate. Imagine the disaster that would ensue if a person were inspired by both?





That's probably what happened in France in 1808, when two men engaged in the strangest duel of all time. In a story of love and betrayal, a love triangle escalated into a hot air balloon duel that may have been one of the first aerial duels in history.



It was Paris, in all its pomp and circumstance. A beautiful woman named Mademoiselle Tirevit enjoyed a well-deserved reputation as a graceful dancer at the Paris Opera. According to the gossip of the time, she was supported by Monsieur de Grandpré, but on the side she began to meet with another gentleman named Le Pic.

When Grandpré learned of this affair, it became obvious that the matter had to be decided in favor of one or the other man. But these were not ordinary men, so their confrontation could not be ordinary. Having abandoned the conservative path, the guys decided to have a duel in a hot air balloon. The winner of the duel would win the hand (and body, too) of Mademoiselle Tirevit. The people were intrigued, but not amazed. Duels were quite common in 19th-century France, and every day the country's men faced a new test.





And so it happened: on May 3, 1808, the two men met on a field near the Tuileries, where two gas balloons were waiting for them. Each participant had a blunderbuss with which they were supposed to shoot the balloon of their opponent. In addition, each had a second who would willingly die with his friend if he lost.

The men climbed into the baskets with a large crowd waving and watching. The signal to start sounded at about 9 o'clock, and the ascent began. According to the Northampton Mercury, the two balloons were kept 45 meters apart as a moderate wind continued to gently rock them.



Le Pic fired first and missed. Grandpré fired back, which pierced the balloon. Soon Le Pic and his second fell to their deaths, losing the fight, the lady, and their lives. Grandpré was delighted with the victory in the exhibition and almost fair fight and demonstrated it by rising into the sky. Of course, after a while he landed. But the lucky guy was still on cloud nine when he took his now legitimate lady prey home, closing this strange page of history.